The role of food in health | Dr Rupy Aujla | TEDxBristol

"The biggest impact on your health is not with a blockbuster drug, it’s not with a new pioneering surgical technique, it’s with the simplest solution. It’s how we feed ourselves".

Dr Rupy Aujla is an NHS doctor who believes modern medicine is fundamentally missing a focus on nutritional medicine. Despite diet being an essential ingredient to our well-being, medical students in the UK often receive just a few hours training in nutrition.

Rupy's TEDx talk explores the medicinal effects of different ingredients and debunks some common 'diets', focusing on how we can make 'culinary medicine' rather than fad diets the default option.

Rupy founded ‘Culinary Medicine’ – a non-profit organisation - specifically to address this gap by teaching doctors and medical students the foundations of nutrition as well as teaching them how to cook.

In his role as clinical adviser to the Royal College of GP's and more recently being accepted as a fellow on the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme – Rupy has big aspirations to bring the concept of 'Culinary Medicine' to the profession globally.

Recently Rupy and the Culinary Medicine team have successfully taught Year 3 University of Bristol Medical students as part of their undergraduate training and they're working with University College London to deliver a course to their students this year.

Rupy is equally passionate about sharing good nutritional advice and delicious healthy recipes with the general public via his company 'The Doctor's Kitchen'. He aims to inspire patients about the beauty of food and the amazing clinical research behind the ingredients he uses. He has two best-selling cookbooks - ‘The Doctor’s Kitchen’ and his second book 'Eat to Beat Illness' which was released in March 2019 and quickly became a Sunday Times Bestseller.

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Dan O'Connell Dr Rupy Aujla is an NHS GP and founder of "The Doctor's Kitchen" and the non-profit ‘Culinary Medicine UK’ – which aims to teach doctors and medical students the foundations of nutrition as well as teaching them how to cook.

In his role as clinical adviser to the Royal College of GP's and more recently being accepted as a fellow on the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme – Rupy has big aspirations to bring the concept of 'Culinary Medicine' to the profession globally.

Recently Rupy and the Culinary Medicine team have successfully taught Year 3 University of Bristol Medical students as part of their undergraduate training and they're working with University College London to deliver a course to their students this year.

[anaverne]

Dr Aujla is doing an incredible work in social media promoting this approach. Finally getting the medical profession concerned about nutrition and not just prescribing drugs for everything,

[healthyconsistency]

This is amazing! As a medical student, I wish my school had a culinary medicine course... in fact I may just try to help implement that during my last year. I started a YouTube channel for my future patients and it’s focus is going to be on lifestyle change like nutrition!

[MihaiPinzariu]

I can vouch for what he is preaching. In the past i used to eat healthy and workout, then i drifted my focus towards making money and working hard, i still worked out but little by little i started neglecting my diet so my weight kept bounching up and down.
In the past year, with every meal i would eat, regardless of what it was, i always add a salad, some tomatoes cucumbers red onion lettuce and a little vinegar and i must say that indeed my weight has stabilized, i do have more energy but now eventho i'm heavier than i used to be (now at 88kg), i feel more agile, flexible, i don't run out of breath like i used to.
So people, make small changes, add a salad, eat an apple, baby steps. Stay healthy because no-one will take care of you like yourself.

[PracticePeakCoaching]

Finally someone comes in with a fresh and neutral view on foods and health. Trying to compliment all health professionals, and not argue about who’s “right” and who’s “wrong”! Awesome work Rupy- keep going 🙏

[larryjane]

I watched this video twice. The first time was for the wonderful information. And second time was for the hot doctor.

[EddieRogers]

Finally, a Doctor that promotes healthy eating to his patients as an alternative to taking medication.

[Dhaqtarka_Caruurta]

The video was very informative. As a medical doctor, I found it very enjoyable. It's important to note that many diseases are a result of unhealthy eating habits. Food can be a form of medicine, so it's crucial to be mindful of the quantity, type, and preparation of the food we consume.

[katehoyle]

YES!! This is everything I teach in Food Freedom. No wonder Rupy is one of my favourite doctors. We need more of his colleagues recognising the power of food for health

[christinadietitian]

Excellent presentation. As a dietitian I enjoyed it. Especially liked how he spoke about the food environment and determinants of health.

[yeolhihi]

This video changed my life; now I'm 100% sure what I want to study in university and what I'm really interested in.

[Jason-Peters]

Dr Rupy Aujla is amazing ... So great to see a mainstream doctor being so forthright about the importance of a (mainly) plant-based diet. 💚

[Romi]

“Let thy food be thy medicine “
Thank you Dr Aujla ..
excellent way of explaining.
Old school doctors knew nothing about nutrition.. thus went onto prescribing pills for the digestive system which in return ended up having so many side effects …leading up-to early death..Thank you for sharing this awareness.

[nicolegermain]

Love Rupy's message. Your body is your temple, must provide it good nourishment. Let go of the past habits and the cravings...

[XOXOdsouza]

Currently 18 and ill be taking up bachelors in dietetics in few months ...hopefully ill be able to bring awareness and help many to know how important of a role food plays in our lives ❤...

There's a lot of misconception about diet and some people see it as a "one size fits all" thing, which is not the case, and from my experience, ive seen people ignore healthy foods and just eat absolutely anything....that might lead to harmfull condiitions years later, well i guess not many are aware of how complex food really can be, and in this day and age there's a rise in ultra processed food and industries keep manufacturing low nutrition eatables
I believe everyone does need to know and be more aware that we need to eat carefully and prevention is better than cure,
Anyways this was just my opinion ♡. and id like to read others opinions too why not

[isis-daisy]

This is why I'm completing a degree in nutrition science before I go to medical school.

[homechefs-mummykiyummyraso]

Thank you Rupi, each and every word of yours has been resonating with my philosophy of nourishment and preventative action through our wholesome food. As an Indian dietitian  and practicing NZ  Registered nutritionist, always believed in power of FOOD as PRANA Shakti  which not only nourish our body, but also mind and our soul. It has been such a delight to hear this from a Doctor. Indeed much needed good health and wellbeing, bright future for all

[HeyItsMaori]

I pray more people learn about nutrition. It may not fix everything because damage is already done but it can reverse some illnesses and if doesn’t have bad side effects as most medicines do.

[wellbodisalone]

So good to see someone who prioritizes eating healthy over taking medication.

[kantstopwontstop]

I greatly appreciate the argument which Dr. Aujla brings up through the viewpoint of preventative medicine. The way he speaks towards food as a preventative source against cardiovascular disease, and specific inflammatory syndromes which we as a medical community see time and time again is a necessary message for our patient population. While his point is notable and necessary for so many people to hear in this medicine first, lifestyle change later culture, we need to consider justice for those in communities which may not have the luxury of having these foods nearby. Although Dr. Aujla brings up teaching his patients how to cook and shape their diets within a NHS appointment, you still need to consider the constraints placed on certain communities. In many low-income communities, grocery stores may not be found nearby. On top of that, research has shown that in these same communities, the display of junk foods may be marketed more heavily than that of certain healthy foods.1 With this brought up, I don’t want to take away from what Dr. Aujla is saying – a healthy diet should be one of the main tools practitioners use to keep patients healthy and we should be practicing proactive medicine rather than reactive medicine. But, in order to do so, we must first consider the patient populations we work with and seek justice for all our patient populations. This means making sure that these patients have equal access to food and an equal playing field (no junk food marketing campaigns, no having to travel at great lengths, etc.). Health prevention is a great message, but we need to give our communities the chance to position themselves in order to accomplish such things.

1. Ghosh-Dastidar B, Cohen D, Hunter G, et al. Distance to store, food prices, and obesity in urban food deserts. Am J Prev Med. Nov 2014;47(5):587-95.

[marshamt]

Bless you for being a blessing. Revolutionizing medicine = true health care!